The EU’s €2 fee on non-EU parcels: what changes from 1 November for your online store

Nico Bértolo · 2026-11-01

In short

  • From 1 November 2026 the EU charges a €2 customs handling fee on online purchases shipped from outside the bloc, on top of the €3 duty applied since 1 July to consignments up to €150.
  • The importer pays it (the platform or seller), not the shopper at the door, but it will most likely show up in Shein’s and Temu’s prices.
  • If you sell from stock inside the EU it costs you nothing and gives you a selling point; if any product ships from outside the EU straight to customers, check your margins.

The EU’s €2 fee on parcels from outside the bloc starts today. It’s a customs handling fee added to the €3 duty the EU has charged since 1 July on consignments up to €150. Together they add at least €5 to a cheap order from a non-European platform. For a store selling from stock in Spain or elsewhere in the EU, that isn’t a cost. It’s an advantage you need to show.

What is the €2 fee on non-EU parcels?

It’s the “Union handling fee” from the EU customs reform, adopted by Parliament and Council on 16 September 2026. The European Commission confirms on its reform page that it applies from 1 November 2026 to goods imported into the EU and that the amount is based on the cost of customs supervision: checking data, risk analysis and physical inspections where needed.

It sits on top of another change. Until 30 June, consignments under €150 entered duty-free. Since 1 July 2026 they pay a €3 customs duty “per item”, according to the Commission. It’s a temporary measure that runs until 1 July 2028, when the permanent system kicks in.

  • €3: customs duty since 1 July 2026 on consignments up to €150
  • +€2: handling fee since 1 November 2026
  • 5.9 bn: low-value items entered the EU in 2025, 90% from China (Commission figures reported by Merca2)

Who pays the fee: the customer or the platform?

Legally, the importer. The reform makes non-EU platforms and sellers responsible for customs formalities and for paying duties and fees. The buyer shouldn’t pay anything on delivery if the platform says the price includes them, as Spanish consumer group OCU points out.

In practice, €5 on a €10 order is 50%. No platform will absorb all of that. Expect it to be spread across prices and shipping. Reports differ on exactly how it’s counted (per item or per product category). For your store the detail matters less than the direction.

What changes for an EU-based online store?

  • If you ship from stock in the EU: your orders aren’t affected. They don’t cross customs.
  • If you compete with non-EU platforms on cheap products (basics, accessories, phone cases, homeware, jewellery): the price gap narrows right before Black Friday. It doesn’t vanish, but it narrows.
  • If any product ships from a non-EU supplier straight to your customer (dropshipping or factory-direct): that fee and duty are on you as the seller. Check your margins today.
  • If you import stock in bulk: ask your customs broker how the fee applies to your declarations. The Commission plans a lower fee from 2028 for importers using a customs warehouse.

What doesn’t change: the right of withdrawal. Customers still have 14 days to cancel and, if duty and fee were included in the price, they’re refunded with the rest.

What I’d do this week

Selling from inside the EU was already an advantage (short delivery times, easy returns, no surprises at the door), but few brands make the case well. Now there’s a price reason too. If it isn’t written on the product page and in the cart, it doesn’t exist for the customer.

  1. Say it next to the buy button: One line on the product page: “Ships from Spain. No customs, no charges on delivery.” Under the price or the button, not in the footer.
  2. Delivery time in days, not adjectives: “Get it Thursday” or “in 24–48 h” competes with the 7–15 days of a Chinese platform. “Fast shipping” competes with nothing.
  3. Repeat it in the cart: That’s where customers compare totals. If you offer free shipping, check the threshold so you don’t give away margin.
  4. Audit your suppliers: List the products that don’t ship from your warehouse. If any travel from outside the EU to the customer, add at least €5 per order and decide whether to raise the price or change logistics before 27 November.
  5. Don’t cut prices to compete: The fee works in your favour without touching your price. If you want a Black Friday push, look at alternatives to discounting first.

A fee doesn’t sell anything. What sells is the customer seeing, before paying, that their order arrives in two days with no surprises.

Nico Bértolo, 224

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Sources

  1. EU Customs Reform · Comisión Europea (Fiscalidad y Unión Aduanera)
  2. La UE aplicará desde este domingo una tasa de 2 euros a paquetes extracomunitarios · Diario en Positivo
  3. La UE cobra desde el 1 de noviembre una tasa de 2 euros a los paquetes extracomunitarios: Temu y Shein, más caros · Merca2
  4. OCU advierte del encarecimiento a partir de noviembre de las compras online fuera de la UE · Financial Food

Frequently asked questions

When does the €2 fee on non-EU parcels start?

On 1 November 2026, according to the European Commission. It comes on top of the €3 duty applied since 1 July 2026 to consignments up to €150.

Do I pay €2 when a Shein or Temu parcel arrives?

You shouldn’t. The importer pays, usually the platform or seller. If the price says duties and fees are included, they can’t be charged again on delivery.

Does the fee affect an EU-based online store?

Only if it ships products from outside the EU straight to customers. Orders shipped from stock inside the EU don’t go through customs.

How long does the €3 duty last?

It’s temporary: the Commission says it applies until 1 July 2028, when the reform’s permanent system takes over.